The medical practice or technique of cauterization is the use of heat to destroy tissue or close bleeding blood vessels in an attempt to mitigate damage, remove an undesired growth, or minimize other medically harmful possibilities, such as infections.
The cauterization of a source of bleeding is one of the most frequently required therapeutic treatments performed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, cauterization at a specific location can be difficult to achieve using traditional endoscopes because traditional endoscopes may not be capable of reaching the desired location within the GI tract, as a traditional endoscope can be difficult to maneuver so as to aim the cauterization element with any degree of precision. In addition, traditional endoscopes may not be capable of reaching a desired location that is located within approximately the last two thirds of the small bowel, since traditional endoscopes are limited in their length and maneuverability.
Capsule endoscopes may be used to cure some of these deficiencies. However, even capsule endoscopes can be difficult to control and aim at a specific location. Additionally, internal power sources contained within a capsule may be inadequate to activate a cauterization element so that it has sufficient heat for cauterization.